Save Me From Myself
by Klyen
Summary: Bobby tries to commit suicide. Will Alex get there in time or will she lose him forever? Bobby saved her, but will Alex get a chance to save him from himself?
1. Chapter 1

(This story may sound too tragic or "emo" to some people, but I thought that Bobby may react this way post "Untethered". I mean, c'mon, the man is brilliant, and "Sometimes the most brilliant people have the most persuasive demons". (Quote from "I, Robot")

Robert Goren stumbled into his apartment in search of vodka, painkillers, anything to make himself feel better. With the kidnap of Eames, the death of his mother, and him sneaking into a mental institution to save Donny only to fail, he was feeling out of control.

_I have to be in control. I have to be on top of this. I have to get back to way I was._

But he realized that he could never change, that he was too messed-up, too damaged to change himself. He realized that he had no one, no family, no friends, not even Eames. He realized that she no longer looked at him with praise; she looked at him with pure disdain, as if she felt sorry for him.

_I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me, I don't need her pity. Yeah, I see the looks on their faces when I walk into 1PP, I see and I ignore, because that's all that I can do now. But there comes a time when you can't ignore anymore, and you just have to give in. _

He searched frantically for his deliverance from this hell. He knew there were other ways to solve his problems, but he couldn't deal with it. He couldn't go on living this way. He searches through his drawers in search of pills, any pills until he finally found a couple of prescription bottles of sleeping pills and antidepressants. He spins around and finds a bottle of vodka on his counter. He figured a swig of it and a handful of the pills would do the job.

_My love life is non-existent. No woman would ever truly love me; no one could ever truly spend their life with me, not that they would choose to. I thought that Alex might be the one that would understand me, but she was like everyone else. She couldn't stand me, couldn't stand my methods, the way I worked. _

_My mother, God Bless her soul, she didn't appreciate me either. She was always saying that Frank could take care of her better. That Frank was the better son. If only she knew the truth about her precious son, the homeless gambler with a drug problem and grandson that she never knew about. _

_Here goes nothing…_He swallowed a huge fistful of the pills, and gulped down the vodka like there was no tomorrow.

The strange thing about suicide was that once you thought about it, the thought never completely goes away, no matter how hard you try. Bobby Goren knew that he was smarter than this. He knew that suicide wasn't the answer to anything, he knew better than to run away from his problems. Damn it, Bobby Goren always dealt with this kind of shit head on. But, there comes a time when you can't deal with it that way anymore, you just have to give in to the darkness.

He takes a few more gulps of Vodka, and then he set the bottle down heavily on his counter. He can't feel anything in his arms anymore. He can't feel any muscle in his body. He feels numb and cold. He loses all sense of emotions. His legs finally give in and he falls over, hitting his head on the sharp corner of the counter.

_Maybe this is for the best. Eames would never have to worry about me again. She would never have to spend another sleepless night worrying about me. The world will go on, everything will be okay in the end, it always is okay. I could have done better, maybe paid more attention to her and tell her how much I really did value our partnership instead of just pushing her away. I'm so sorry Eames, I never meant for it to happen this way. _

To Be Continued… (Eames is worried when Bobby doesn't show up the next morning at work).


	2. Chapter 2

_The Next Day…_

Alex Eames walked into Major Case the next morning feeling awfully anxious. Bobby had been back from his leave for the past week, but something just didn't feel right. She had to be extra careful around him; it was like walking on egg shells, making sure that she didn't push him over the edge.

She felt as if it was her fault, that she should have seen this coming. All the other detectives thought he was crazy, but it was her fault for ignoring it. She thought it was just Bobby being Bobby Goren.

But no. She should have seen his breakdown coming. She knew him best.

"Eames, where the hell is your partner?" Ross asked as he walked to her desk. Alex looked at the empty desk across from her. Bobby was three hours late.

"I don't know." Eames said, obviously sounding worried. Ross sighed.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go find him. Tell him he's got a mountain of paperwork to finish." Ross said curtly as he walked away.

_Bobby, where the hell are you?_

She reached for her cell and punched in his number. _C'mon Bobby, pick up your goddamn phone. _

Five rings and he still wasn't picking up. _Bobby, PICK UP! _Eames grabbed her coat and rushed out of MCS; she ran straight to the elevator and pushed 'Down'. _Please be okay, Bobby, just please be okay. _As soon as she reached the garage level, she rushed to her SUV, unlocked the door, and jammed the key into the ignition. She drove as fast as she could to his apartment, and surprisingly she didn't hit anyone. She took every possible shortcut she could think of, and along the way she was hoping and praying that he wouldn't do anything stupid. _He's Bobby Goren; he's eccentric, not crazy, right? _

As soon as she parked the SUV in front of his building, she ran up the stairs to his apartment, two steps at a time.

_Bobby, don't do anything you'll regret._

She finally arrives at Bobby's apartment and knocks on the door a few times. No one answers. "Bobby, open the door!" she yells. Nothing. "Bobby, if you don't open up the goddamn door right now, I'll just unlock it with your key!" Silence. She reaches for his key in her back pocket, and jams it into the door as she turns the handle, not knowing what to anticipate. She pushes the door open.

"Bobby?"

She looks around to find him until her eyes immediately stop on the man lying on the floor. She gasps.

"Oh my god, Bobby! Bobby, answer me!" She runs over to him and notices the opened vodka bottle and spilled pills all over the floor and counter. Bobby's lying lifelessly on the floor. She cradles Bobby in her arms, whispering words she knows he won't hear. Alex checks for a pulse, it's faint, but still there. She strokes his curly hair a few times, begging him to somehow just wake up, but she knows he won't.

She takes out her cell phone and calls for an ambulance. And then she waits.

The next five minutes were the longest five minutes in her life. Those were the minutes that determined whether her partner, her best friend, her confidante would live or die. When the ambulance arrives, she doesn't leave Bobby's side. The paramedics are pushing her aside, but she refuses to leave him. She left him once, and he almost died. She wasn't making that mistake again. Tears start streaming down her porcelain face and burn into her skin. Alex feels her throat contracting and unexpectedly she can't breathe. One of the paramedics rushes over to her and tells her to calm down.

"How the hell can I calm down when my partner might be dead?! Tell me, how the hell do you expect me to be calm?!"

Alex starts kicking and screaming. She smashes her hands into the wall of Bobby's apartment. The EMS doesn't look too alarmed, he's probably seen this a million times. "Miss, I going to need you to breathe and remain calm, your partner needs you to remain calm. You overreacting is not going to do him any good." the EMS tries to explain. Alex sobs and falls into his arms. He pats her back a few times until she appeared calmed down to some extent. Then he leads her out of Bobby's apartment.

He helps her climb into the ambulance, with Bobby on a stretcher. As soon as they closed the door, they were speeding off to the nearest hospital. Alex holds onto Bobby's hand and refuses to let go, even as one of the paramedics insists that she needs to move aside so that they can get his blood pressure. She stares back at the paramedic with her most determined looks, and she finally lets go of his hand so that they can put the BP cuff on him.

"112 over 68. His blood pressures steadying." the paramedic says with a slight smile, hoping that it'll give Alex some solace. She sighs and looks at his face, he looked like an angel.

As they're driving towards the hospital, Alex's tears finally stop. She had to be the stronger one out of the two for once. Bobby saved her once, and now it was her turn to return the favor.

"Don't worry Bobby, everything will be alright." She says as she strokes his hair.

To Be Continued… (How will Bobby react to being "saved"? Did Alex just save his life? Or did she ruin his death?)


	3. Chapter 3

_The following morning…_

Bobby started drifting awake. He looks around and notices Eames sitting in a chair next to him. _Why the hell am I in the hospital? And what the hell is she doing here?_ Squinting his eyes as the light shone in through the window, Bobby groaned, once again being reminded of how much she hated this place. This was where he lost his mother and where he realized that he failed miserably when it came to protecting Eames from Jo Gage._ I should have known. I shouldn't have let her drive home by herself. I should've driven her home instead of trying to impress that stupid son of a bitch, Declan Gage. I should've protected her, instead I failed._

_What the hell am I doing here? _He suddenly remembered back to the previous morning. He remembered downing a bottle of vodka and a handful of pills. _Eames must've found me, she was the one that saved me, but why?_

Bobby looks over at his partner. She was sprawled on the chair sleeping and faintly snoring. Her blonde bangs fell in front of her face; he reached over and tucked it behind her ear, gently caressing her face. She stirred in her sleep, he pulled away.

"Bobby, you're up…" she said as she stifled a yawn. She sat up and leaned towards him, "How you feeling?"

_Why do you care, Eames?_

"I'm fine." He said softly as he looked away, he couldn't stand lying to her, but the truth hurt too much. Alex knew he wasn't telling the truth and she couldn't all the lies anymore. _No one tries to commit suicide if they're 'fine'. Why can't you just tell me the truth, Bobby? _

"Goddamn it, Bobby! You scared the shit out of me. Do you know how scared I was when you didn't show up to work?! Then when I showed up at your place and I found you practically dead on the floor?! Do you know how goddamn scared I was when I found the vodka and pills spilled all over the floor?! Do you have any idea?!" Alex shouted at him, tears starting to stream down her face. He tried to wipe them away, but she leaned away from him.

"You don't understand-" Bobby started, but she interrupted him.

"Bobby, what the hell do you mean I don't understand?! Bobby, you are so much smarter than this, you know that suicide isn't the answer to anything. I'm trying so hard to figure out what's going on in your head and I just can't grasp the concept of why you would do this. Bobby, please help me understand." She said as she grabbed his hand, careful of all the IVs in his arm.

"Eames, you could never understand! You don't what the hell I've been through; you don't know why I am the way I am!" Bobby yelled, as he pulled away from her. He tried to sit up, but Alex pushed him back to the bed.

"Bobby, just tell me why." She whispered, "You have no idea how afraid I was when I thought I'd lose you forever."

"Why do you care so much, Eames? Why couldn't you have just left me alone? I didn't ask to be 'saved'? I could've ended it, but no, you just had to be a goddamn saint! I've been this way for as long as I've known and you can't 'fix' me! I don't need you! I don't want anything from you! I don't want your pity or your help! So stop being so goddamn bullheaded and just leave!" He screamed as he jerked violently away from her. It was as if rage was clouding his mind, and he couldn't think clearly.

Alex starting moving away from him, she couldn't believe the words coming out of Bobby's mouth. Alex had seen him angry and violent before, but never with her. _This is the thanks I get for saving him? What the hell, I don't need this shit._

"Bobby… you've gone too far. You're drowning here; you're in so deep that I can't even throw you a life jacket." She said, her voice trembling.

"I'm a big boy, I know how to swim. So, back off!" Bobby shot back.

"Bobby… please let me help." Alex pleaded.

"Just leave already!"

"Fine… Bobby. But the next time you decide to do something stupid, I won't be there to save you! I won't put myself through this again! I've had enough, Bobby!" She yelled as she ran out the door, furiously trying to wipe away her burning tears.

Bobby threw his head back on his pillow, sighing. _What the hell did I just do?_

To Be Continued… (What happens to Bobby and Alex? Will she ever come back? Will Bobby beg for forgiveness? Or will they go their separate ways?)


	4. Chapter 4

_How did it get to be like this? How could I not see this coming? _Alex wondered as she drove home. _He didn't mean what he said, did he? No Alex, stop! He's made it very clear that he doesn't want your help. He doesn't need you, right? Why do I care so much? I've been assigned to plenty of partners and I never gave a damn, but why do I care so much about him? _

She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and dialed Ross' number. He had called earlier and asked her how Bobby was.

_Four Hours Ago…_

"_Eames, how's he doing?" Captain Ross asks._

"_Um, his BP stabilized and the doctor's insisting on keeping him for a few days just to make sure he doesn't attempt… attempt to-" Alex couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't want to consider that Bobby would try to kill himself again. _

"_It's OK, Eames. I understand. Take a few days off, keep an eye on him, and report back to me, OK?"_

"_Yes, Captain." She answers hesitantly. _

Eames punches in Ross' number and tries to figure out what she's going to tell him. _'Captain, I saved your best detective and he just basically told me to fuck off.' _

"Ross." The voice answers brusquely.

"Captain, I just left the hospital. He's awake." She pauses as she hears a long sigh.

"How bad is it?" He asks.

"Well, he's going to survive. Like I told you before, they're keeping him under observation." Alex said.

"That's good. Tell him to take as long as he needs, OK? The most important thing is for him to get better." Ross said.

"Captain? That's actually why I called. I don't think I should talk to him anymore. I was going to wait and get the paperwork done formally, but I think it's better that I tell you now." She says, her voice trembling with loathing. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she had to for the sake of her sanity.

"What is it Eames?" He asks, sounding concerned.

"I want a new a partner." She tells him. Bobby and she had been through so much together. After being kidnapped and the whole Tates incident, she couldn't stand it anymore. _I can't stand having to constantly watch my back, making sure he's okay. It's too much for me to take. _

"Are you sure?" Ross asked. He knew that there was more than what she was telling him.

"Eames, what happened at the hospital?"

_How does he know something happened? Is it really that obvious?_

"Nothing happened, Captain." She says abruptly.

He knew she was lying. Eames and Goren were his best detectives; she wouldn't request a new partner for no reason. He was starting to lose patience, "Eames, what the hell happened today?!"

_I have to tell him. _"Sir… He…" She tried to tell him what happened between chokes and tears. "He told me he didn't need my help. That I should've just let him kill himself. Please Captain; I can't deal with this anymore."

Ross heaved another sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, he could feel a migraine coming. "Eames, go home. I'm putting you on leave. I'll go talk to him, if he agrees that the best solution for you two is to be assigned new partners, then I'll assign you a new partner. But I'd prefer not to go that route." Ross said.

Eames breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, Captain." She said, hoping and praying that Captain Ross could talk some sense into him.

To Be Continued… (Will Ross be able to talk some sense in Bobby? Or will he just push him away, like he did to Eames? Will their wounded partnership be saved? Or is this the end of Bobby and Alex as we know it?)


	5. Chapter 5

_What the hell happened? What did Goren really say? _Ross wondered as he walked to Bobby's room. He hesitated going in because he knew that Goren wasn't his biggest fan. _Better get this over with now. _As soon as Ross stepped foot in the room, Bobby looked up from his bed, he didn't say anything.

"Goren", he acknowledged, not really knowing how to approach this situation. He looked around the dreary room, curtains drawn to a close so no sunlight could come through.

Ross spoke up, "How you feeling? I've been, uh- concerned." Bobby still didn't say anything; he just looked at the wall opposite of his bed.

"Eames called me. She told me what happened." Ross said, not wanting to look him in the eye, afraid that Bobby might go off on him, like he did to Eames. Bobby cleared his throat, but said nothing.

"She told me what you said. Damn it, Goren! She's been worried sick! What the hell is going on with you?!" Ross asked.

Bobby finally had enough. "Listen, I don't need another lecture. I got a mouthful from Eames; I don't want to hear any from you!" Bobby screamed.

"Detective, control yourself!" Ross said angrily. "I am not getting paid nearly enough to deal with this crap!"

"Don't tell me to control myself! What the hell are you doing here? Why don't you just fire me?! So you don't have to 'deal with this crap'!" Bobby yelled. "Did Eames tell you come and keep an eye on me? I can take care of myself!"

_Yeah, sure. You really do know how to take care of yourself, Goren. _"Listen, I'm not going to be as patient as Eames was", Ross said as he walked over to the seething man. "Goren, this afternoon she called me, in tears no less, requesting a new partner".

"What? She what-?" Bobby couldn't comprehend what he was saying.

"She was looking out for you and you had the _nerve _to tell her that she should've left you dead? Do you know how hurt she was? Eames is the toughest cop I know and to hear her crying over the phone because of something _you_ said, I couldn't believe it." Ross was at the end of his rope. He sat down in the empty seat beside Goren, wondering how he was going to get through to this stubborn man.

"Look, I'll be honest with you; I don't want to assign Eames a new partner. I think you two work especially well together, but your partner is really hurt right now. I've been a cop for a long time and I've never seen two people work as well with each other as you two. Don't screw this up." Ross said, as he started towards the door.

"You know what you have to do to fix this, right?" Ross asked.

_No, how do I fix this? She won't talk to me, especially not after all the things I said._

"Sir, I'm afraid to talk to her. I'm afraid I'll hurt her again." Bobby said with a stutter.

Ross let out a long sigh and said simply, "Just apologize. You may be a brilliant detective, Goren, but you're an idiot if you don't realize how much she cares about you." And with that said, he left Bobby to reflect on the situation at hand.

_She cares? She really does care. How could I have been so blind? How I could have so stupid to have pushed her away?_

To Be Continued… (How will Bobby get Alex to forgive him? Will she stay around or will she walk away for good?)


	6. Chapter 6

_How do I apologize to her? What do I say? _Bobby thought to himself as he contemplated calling her. _Maybe I should wait for her to cool off. No, if I wait too long, she'll think I'm still mad. But I'm not, I was a fool. She's the only one who stuck with me through everything. _

_When my mom died, she stayed by me. She told me she'd be there for me, but what did I do? I was an asshole, I kept pushing her away. I was the one that kept telling to go away, but she persisted and stayed. She stayed until she finally had enough, and she left for good. _

_She told me she wasn't mad about the Jo Gage kidnapping, but I was stubborn. Eames was never angry at me, but I get furious at her for saving me? How could I have been such an idiot? _

Bobby picked up the phone beside his hospital bed, and dialed her cell. One ring and he slammed the phone down. _I don't want to cause her more pain. It's my fault she's crying. For once, it really is my fault. _

_I have to call her, to tell her how I really feel. _He picked up the phone and redialed her number. Two rings and he hung up. _No, I can't. She probably never wants to see me again, let alone speak to me. _

"Damn it, just call her!" He told himself. He took a deep breath and picked up the phone once again. He dialed her number once more and waited. Five rings and she wasn't picking up. _Eames, please pick up. _He silently pleaded. Four more rings and he got her answering machine.

"Hey, you've reached Alex. I'm not here right now. Leave me a message after the beep and I'll get back to you." Beep.

Bobby hung up. He didn't want to leave a message. He wanted to speak to her face to face. But that was too much to ask for. She probably never wants to see or speak to him ever again. But he had to apologize to her; it was eating away at him. _Maybe I should try her apartment? Where else could she be? _He dialed her home and waited. Once again, he got her answering machine.

_Maybe she knows it's me, but she's just not picking it. That has to be it. _He sighed. _I'll let her cool off, and then I'll call and apologize. _He set the phone done beside and closed him eyes; today's events were too much for him to take. Within seconds, he fell asleep.

_Meanwhile, across town _

Eames knocks impatiently on the door. _C'mon, open up! _She waits for a few seconds, and the door flings open.

"Hey, what are _you_ doing here?" Logan asked.

"I was just in the neighborhood and I decided to stop by" Alex said slyly, as she walked past him into his apartment.

"Yeah, come on in." Logan said under his breath. He closed the door and followed her to his couch. She sat down while he stood watching her warily. _What is she doing here?_ After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, he spoke up, "So, you want to tell me why you drove all the way from your house, just to sit on my couch?"

She laughed. "I just wanted to stop by, you know. We've worked together for the past two and a half years, and we never just _"hung out with each other"._ She looked around his apartment, it was the quintessential "bachelor pad". It was empty except for some furniture and some reading material of his choice, Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. _I should've known._

"So, you came all this way just to '_hang out_'?" He asked, clearly baffled as he walked over and sat down next to her.

Alex didn't say anything; she did the only thing she could think of in her time of need. She kissed him. She could tell he was shocked, but he didn't move away. It scared her, and she suddenly pulled back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have done that."

Mike cupped her cheek. "No, you shouldn't have." Alex dropped her gaze, but he brought it back up to his. "I should have done it first."

She grinned and he kissed her again. This time, both of them met with passion, and held back nothing. Her fears were gone, or otherwise shrouded, as they began to remove each other's clothing. They fell back in each other's arms onto Mike's couch, still locked in a passionate kiss.

He traced his lips over Alex's neck as she arched her neck back. He smirked as she reached up to kiss him again. They were two people, caught in the moment. It was one scorching moment of passion and hidden love neither of them had known was so strong. They continued to live out their excitement and fantasies until they collapsed against each other, exhausted.

Alex looked over at Mike as he laid there trying to catch his breath. For the first time in a long time, she thought that everything might be okay. For once, she felt content and relieved, like nothing bad could happen. _No more worrying about Bobby, no more watching to make sure he's okay. I'm finally going to move on. _She smiled as she looked up at Mike. He leaned in and slowly bent down to give her a soft deep kiss on the lips.

To Be Continued… (Does Alex really have feelings for Mike, or is she just trying to distract herself from Bobby? Will Bobby find out? And if he does, how will he react?)


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning Alex woke up feeling calm and collected for the first time in months. She stared lazily at the man sleeping next to her. He was snoring faintly, with one arm wrapped around her back and the other one grabbing her ass.

_Is he like this with every woman he sleeps with? _Alex tried to wriggle away from him, but that just made him pull her closer.

"You're not getting away that easily," Mike said sleepily, with one eye open.

"Do you always wake up looking so smug?" She asked, as she leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. Mike chuckled as he kissed her back, "Only when I'm waking up to the most beautiful woman in the world".

_He probably tells that to every woman he wakes up to. _Alex laughed at that thought. She tried to get out of bed, but he wouldn't let her.

"Mike, let me go. I have to take a shower," She giggled as he tried to pin her to the bed.

"You can take a shower later. With me." He growled, kissing her neck.

"Mike! Stop it!" She hit him playfully, "I have to go shower, then run some errands". He put his hands up in mock defeat, and she started towards his bathroom. She shut the door and Mike waited until he heard the water running. He fell back on his side and smiled to himself.

_How did this happen? _He always thought that he'd never have a chance with Alex, especially since she was always with Goren. He respected that, he didn't want to interfere with their working dynamic. Especially since Goren was so damn protective of her. _Shit, Goren went crazy when he found out that she was kidnapped. So why did she come to me? _

Mike was positive that she would go running to Goren. But it didn't matter to him. _She picked me and that's all that matters. _Ask anyone and they'll tell you that Mike preferred his women to be busty and brunette. Alex wasn't the kind of woman that he was typically attracted to, yet at the same time, she was everything that he wanted.

_Yeah, I've seen her around MCS and been wanting to ask her out for a while now. But that damn Goren kept giving me looks, warning me to stay away from her. And I respected that. I thought he probably had 'feelings' for her, but didn't want to act on them. Hey, I get that and I never betrayed him. Even with what happened last night, I still didn't betray him. She came to me, she wanted me. She picked me over him. And that's all that matters._

The water was still running, he was letting her take her time. _She's been through a lot; Goren nearly gave her a panic attack. I knew he would go over the edge; it was just a matter of when. _

Mike was staring at the wall, when Alex's cell rang. Four more rings and he was starting to get annoyed. He reached over to her side of the bed and grabbed the cell phone. He flipped it open.

"Hello", He answered crustily. He waited for a response and heard silence.

"Hello? Who the hell is this?" Mike demanded.

'Why are _you_ answering Eames' cell, Logan?" Bobby asked suspiciously.

"Why do you care?" Mike asked calmly, trying to disguise his mounting annoyance.

"What the hell do you mean 'why'? She's my partner." Bobby said.

"Look Goren, I know what you did. You tried to overdose yourself to death, Alex saved you, and you went crazy. You are _the_ _most selfish person_ I know. You told Alex to let you die?! What the fuck? She was worried crazy and you were a bastard about it! I have no respect for assholes like you!" Mike yelled.

"Alex? Alex?! Since when do you call her 'Alex'?!" Bobby asked, his rage becoming more evident.

_I'm gonna tell that son of a bitch what happened. He hurt her and now it's time for him to get what's coming around, _Mike thought to himself.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Goren? I had sex with her, after she came to _my _apartment. She's not leaning on your shoulder anymore, she's leaning on mine. Tell me, how does it feel to have _the one person you love, walk away from you_?" Mike sneered.

Bobby couldn't believe it; he never thought she'd go to Logan for support. _Why him? Why Logan? Was I wrong about her all this time? It was my fault she ran to him, I pushed her away. Now, she's gone. _

"Answer my question Goren! _How does it feel?!_" Mike asked again.

To Be Continued… (No 'previews' this time, you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens.)


	8. Chapter 8

_Logan slept with her? No, he's bluffing, she would never do that. _

"You're lying, she wouldn't sleep with you." Bobby shot back.

"Really Goren? I had her _screaming_ last night". Mike sneered.

Bobby laughed, "Screaming? She was probably screaming for you to get off of her! You could _never_ satisfy her."

Mike was getting mad, "_I _can't satisfy her?! You never even tried to! You kept telling her to fuck off, and _now _you're wondering why she's with me?!"

Bobby tried to stifle his laughter, but couldn't. "She's not 'with you'. She's not in 'love' with you! She's in love with _me_!

"Yeah right, Goren. Then why did she come to _me_, huh?" Mike asked, sounding furious. Bobby wasn't ignorant; he knew Alex didn't really _love_ Mike.

"You bastard, you knew I loved her. She was weak and you took advantage of her." Bobby said, sounding equally furious.

"Oh, she wasn't weak. She came on pretty strong, but I guess _you_ wouldn't know." Mike said nastily.

"You know what, Logan? You can have her. I'm done." Bobby hung up. _Maybe this is for the best. I'm damaged, I don't deserve her. _

Mike let out a long sigh as he put Alex's cell back on the bedside table. The bathroom door opened and she came out.

"Who was that?" She asked as she walked over to him.

Mike contemplated telling her that it was Bobby, but he realized he had nothing to hide. "It was Goren; he wanted to talk to you." He said as he pulled her in for a quick kiss.

She pulled away, "What did you tell him?"

"I told him to leave you alone."

"Did you… tell him about 'us'?" She asked warily.

He chuckled, "Yeah, I mean, unless you want him to know…"

Alex couldn't believe it. _Did Mike really think we were in a 'relationship'? _

"Did you really think I _loved_ you?" She asked. Mike looked confused. "Mike, it was a _one time thing_." She walked over to the bedside table to grab her cell phone. "It didn't mean anything." She said sternly.

_What? It didn't mean anything? _"Okay then, Alex. Why did you come to _me_ last night? Why did you kiss _me_?" He asked, on the verge of yelling.

_How do I break this to him gently? _"Mike, I was confused. What happened last night was a mistake." She said, as she headed out the door.

"A mistake?!" He bellowed. Mike grabbed his pants off the floor and put them on as he ran after her. "Alex! Wait, let me ask you something."

She turned around reluctantly, "What, Mike?"

"Was I just a one night stand to you? Just to take your mind off Bobby?" He looked so serious.

Alex had never thought about it until now. She knew she had feelings for Bobby, but she always thought they were just superficial. She finally realized that after being partners for seven years, she was _in love with Robert Goren_. _How could I have been so stupid? I love him. _

"Yes Mike, you were just a distraction. I- I love Bobby, not you." She whispered, afraid of his infamous temper.

Mike wasn't going to yell at her, he couldn't do it. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved, before you got a chance to tell them. He couldn't come between Alex and Bobby like that. _They were made for each other._

"Alex, go after him." He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Just promise me you'll tell him how you feel. Don't lead him on anymore.

She felt tears stinging her eyes, but for once they were tears of joy. "I promise." She reached up and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Thanks Mike." She turned around and walked out the door.

_I really do love Bobby. How could I have not known?_ She ran down the stairs and rushed to her car. _I want to tell him everything. I want him to know forgive him for everything he said. I could never walk away from him._

To Be Continued (Alex will _finally _tell Bobby how she feels. What could possibly go wrong?)


	9. Chapter 9

(I tried to keep this final chapter short and sweet. Enjoy!)

When Alex arrived at the hospital, she ran straight for Bobby's room. She ran past several nurses and attendings who were screaming for her to stop running. She ignored them; she had to get to Bobby before it was too late. _I have to tell him how I really feel. I have to tell him I love him. I was so blind, so ignorant all these years. How could I have not known?_

Alex was outside of his room when she wondered how she was going to tell him. _Just do it, Alex. You've waited long enough. _She took a deep breath and walked inside. Bobby was lying in his bed, staring at the wall; the curtains were drawn to a close. He watched her warily as she entered the room. His warm brown eyes seemed pitch black. She approached him cautiously, knowing that he knew what happened between her and Mike.

"What are _you _doing here, Eames?" He asked, his voice sounded empty, so emotionless. Alex couldn't tell if he was upset or disappointed, and that's what scared her the most. She didn't know how to answer him without pushing him over the edge.

"Bobby-" She started, as he interrupted her.

"Look, you're with Logan now. I'm-uh, happy for you two." He said simply.

"No, Bobby, you don't understand. I'm not in love with him", She whispered, "I'm in love with you." For the next couple of minutes, he doesn't say anything. He just stares at her, studying her body language, his eyes drilling though her as if he could see right through to her soul.

The silence was getting to her, she couldn't take it anymore. "Bobby, please say something. _Anything_." She begged. He cleared his throat, "What do you want me to say?"

She didn't really know what she expected him to say. She wanted him to tell her that he wasn't mad at her, that he forgave. She wanted to know that everything would be alright again.

She walked over to his bedside, grasping his hand in hers. "Please say that you forgive me. What happened between me and Mike was nothing. I was just _confused_, Bobby. You have to understand. I don't love him, I love you." She whispered.

Bobby sat in silence, contemplating what to say. _I do love her, but I can't risk losing her. Everyone I loved abandoned me, took me for granted. I can't go through that again. _

Alex stared at him, waiting for an answer. When he didn't say anything, she pulled her hand away from his. With a sigh, she started to head for the door.

_Damn it! Just tell her, you bullheaded son of a bitch_, Bobby told himself.

"Alex, wait." He said, sitting up in his bed. She stopped, but she didn't turn to face him.

"I-uh, I love you too." He stuttered, with a slight grin.

Her heart leapt, she walked back over to him and with a great deal of struggle she crawled into the hospital bed with him. It was awkward to avoid the tubes and wires. Bobby laughed at her mischievous attitude. He put his arm around her as she settled against him with a sigh.

She snuggled closer to him, but pauses for a moment. Then she leaned close and pressed her lips tenderly against his, framing his face with her hands. When they broke apart, she murmured, "I love you, Bobby." _She loved him... She cared for him, like he cared for her. He just couldn't find the words to express what she meant to him._ A long silence passed, and finally he realized that those three little words described everything that he wanted to say, "I love you, Alex. I really do." She smiled softly, one hand stroking his cheek while the other slid under his shirt and lightly traced circles over his chest. After a night of very little sleep, he was fatigued, and his eyes slid shut against his will.

She leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I won't lose you again," she promised, touching her nose to his. "I'll always keep you safe. I can promise you that much, Bobby."

He smiled softly as she continued to encourage him toward sleep with gentle kisses and caresses. He finally couldn't fight it anymore, and he slept serenely for the first time in a long time, held protectively in the arms of his partner, his best friend, his true love.

(I'd love to hear your comments on this story. It was my first and I hope you all loved reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter was especially difficult to write since I'm great at creating a dramatic storyline, but it's so complicated trying to end the story in a way that everyone would love. My next one will be even better, but you'll have to wait for a few months while I'm studying for finals.)


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